Most ecstasy pills tested by WA’s ChemCentre found they contained no MDMA

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Pill-popping revellers have no idea what they are putting into their bodies, with most of the ecstasy tablets tested in WA in the past six months containing no trace of the key ingredient — MDMA.

In the wake of a spate of deaths at NSW music festivals in recent months, a WA forensic scientist has warned the “ecstasy” pills her team are testing in WA vary greatly in appearance, composition and purity.

ChemCentre’s illicit drugs team leader Lecinda Collins-Brown said between July and December last year 1.3kg in ecstasy pills were analysed at the WA laboratory.

“Tablets that have similar appearance can contain different drugs, or combinations of drugs. Highly skilled drug analysts who encounter these tablets in the lab on a regular basis don’t know what they contain until we analyse them using our sophisticated analytical techniques,” she said.

Ms Collins-Brown said while less than half of pills tested contained MDMA, the most prevalent ingredient in tablets analysed over the past six months had been a similar drug, MDA.

“This (MDA as a key component) has been a growing trend since 2016. Other substances have also been detected which are also illegal and potentially very harmful. Without rigorous forensic testing it is not possible to know what is in a single ‘ecstasy’ tablet,” she said.

“The purity of the components in ‘ecstasy’ tablets is also very variable, as variable as the components themselves. Specifically, over the last six months, ChemCentre has analysed tablets that contain MDMA ranging from 10 per cent to 27 per cent, MDA from 6 per cent to 20 per cent and methylamphetamine at less than 1 per cent.”

While similar, MDA — which has street names of Sally, Sass or Sassafrass — is lesser known compared to sister drug MDMA, or Molly. But MDA lasts longer than MDMA, with a higher level of stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.

Caffeine is a common component in ecstasy pills in WA, Ms Collins-Brown said. Recent preliminary studies conducted by ChemCentre indicated the presence of salts similar to Epsom salts.

Other studies found lactose (milk powder), sugars such as glucose and tablet binders including cellulose, talc, waxes and fatty acids.

If ChemCentre scientists detect anything unusual in the drugs they test, particularly if they pose a public health risk, they notify police and health agencies.

Festival operators in NSW will be forced to introduce a raft of safety measures to protect patrons following a spate of drug deaths, including 19-year-old Alex Ross-King who died last weekend.

Operators will have to provide a risk assessment, emergency escalation protocols, chill-out spaces with free water, medical supplies, and harm-reduction messaging before being granted a licence.